


Finding Home

by deadfoxforcutie



Category: Futurama
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-06-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 06:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7212173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadfoxforcutie/pseuds/deadfoxforcutie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fry realizes something important at therapy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Home

“Mr. Fry?” the metallic voice from behind the front desk called, “Dr. Kapoor is ready to see you now.”

“Thanks, Mavis!” Fry replied, making his way to the desk. He dug a crumpled up ball of paper out of his pocket, smoothed it out, and handed it to the aging robot secretary. 

“Y’know, Mr. Fry,” Mavis said as she stamped the form Fry gave her, “your government mandated cryogenics therapy sessions are almost over. Dr. Kapoor has an opening if you’re interested.” 

She handed him back his government form, which he promptly stuffed back in his pocket. 

“Thanks, Mavis, but I can’t,” Fry replied, “the professor won’t let us have health insurance because he says we’re all going to die in some horrific space accident anyways. Plus, Zoidberg is technically a doctor.” 

“I have no idea who any of those people you just mentioned are,” she replied, “have a mint?”

Fry took a mint from the robot secretaries’ bowl and made his way to the doctor’s office. The door slid open to reveal a warmly lit corner office, with a row of bookshelves against the far wall. Dr. Kapoor, an indian woman with black hair in a pixie cut and thin gold glasses on her nose, rose to shake Fry’s hand.

“How are you feeling today, Fry?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m good. I didn’t think this therapy stuff would really do anything when I first started, but what we’ve talked about has really helped. Especially with missing my family.”

“That’s very good to hear, Fry.” 

“Yeah, there is one thing you said I’ve been thinking a lot about lately.”

“Go on.” 

“You said that for people like me, that have been in a freezer as long as I was in one, it’s important to look forwards instead of backwards, and think about the life I can make here instead of the life I lost.” 

“I remember.” 

“Well, I’ve been thinking about that a lot. And I think I have what I want here in the future. I have a bunch of people who love me. Like Leela, I used to have a crush on her for the longest time. But we’re so close now, like siblings.” 

“That’s very reassuring to hear, Fry. When I first accepted your case, I was honestly quite worried about your mental health. Not many people undergo cryogenics as long as you did, and oftentimes the readjustment is hard to handle. It brings me great joy to see the progress you've made.” 

“Thank you," Fry responded, "But, I mean, I do still feel lonely sometimes, and homesick, and lost. Except when I’m with Bender.” 

“Bender?” 

“Yeah, that’s what I wanted to ask about. I get this weird feeling when I’m with him. Especially when we hug, it’s like when you just came back to your childhood home for the holidays and everything feels right. But it’s a weird feeling I don’t think I’ve ever had before, and you’re a therapist, so I figure you must know what it means.” 

Dr. Kapoor chuckled under her breath a little. Fry was a great person, but wasn’t always the brightest. It came as no surprise to her that he would fumble something like this. 

“It sounds to me like you have a bit of a crush on this Bender person.” 

Fry looked at the doctor and furrowed his brow. 

“N-no, that doesn’t make sense. I’m not… I’m not gay.” 

“Fry, it’s perfectly okay if you are. Views on sexuality have changed greatly since you were frozen. I myself am a Lesbian.” 

“Well, yeah, but I can’t be gay, because I’ve been with too many women.” 

“You could be bisexual, or pansexual. From what you’ve told me about your feelings for Bender, I think it’s worth exploring.”

“Well, I mean, I don’t think I’m any of those. I’ve never even thought about it. How would I even know?” 

“Can you think of any other time you’ve felt attraction to a man?” 

“Sure, but every straight guy does. You know, just like…. sports, and whatever. It’s not like I’d fall in love with everyone on the Yankees just because they’re hot, though.” 

“But it does sound like you’d fall in love with Bender.” 

He leaned back on the plush leather couch. 

“I understand it’s a lot to take in.” She said.

“Yeah,” was the only response Fry could come up with, “really does put some stuff in perspective I guess.” 

Before Dr. Kapoor could offer a follow up, a shrill synth tone began playing from her computer.

“Unfortunately, Fry, it looks like our half-hour is up. I think we’ve made some great progress today, though. I’ll see you again next month?” 

“Sounds good.” 

Fry got up and made his way out of the office, set up his next appointment with Mavis, and left the building. He made his way to the tube that took him back to his neighborhood, and got something to eat at the bodega on his block. He needed something to eat to think this all over.

 

* * *

 

 

“Ok, so, maybe I am gay, or bi, or whatever she called it,” Fry was sitting on the bench outside the bodega, talking to himself through a mouth full of sandwich, “and maybe I also have a crush on Bender. So what? I don’t have to do anything about it.” 

He leaned back, looking up at the blue sky above him. But he did want to do something about it. He wanted Bender to know. Back when he still had a crush on Leela, he used to tell her practically every day. But that was different. The crush faded, and they were still friends now, but telling her was easier. It didn’t feel scary for him to have a crush on her. Plus, this time his crush felt bigger and more urgent. If he told Bender and he didn’t feel the same, Bender might be so completely disgusted with the idea that Fry was a robosexual he would stop talking to him altogether. Would he do that? 

“Ugh,” Fry leaned forwards again, “all this thinking is giving me a headache.” 

He scarfed down the rest of his sandwich and patted his hands free of crumbs. What a mess he’d gotten himself into. If only there were some way to tell Bender how he felt without also putting their friendship in jeopardy. 

Fry thought on that for a second. What if? He just might be able to pull it off. He’d have to be smooth, though, in case he needed to play it off if things went sour. 

“Good thing I’m the master of smooth,” Fry said as he got off the bench, tripping on his own foot on the way up.

 

* * *

 

Bender got up from the couch he and Fry had collapsed on to get snacks. He reached into the pantry to grab a bag of chips when he noticed a small piece of pink paper folded in half on the counter. Ugh, he thought, is he still trying to win over Leela? He picked it up and read the note on the inside to himself.

 

 

> “I met you on my first day in the future,
> 
> and I fell in love with you the very minute we met
> 
> You may not feel the same, but I think we can be beautiful together.
> 
> -Fry” 

 

Bender rolled his eyes. 

“What is this, the third note this week?” he asked himself aloud. 

He grabbed the chips and made his way back into the living room and sat down on the couch, and plopped the snacks and Fry’s note onto the coffee table.

“Hey meatbag,” Bender said, “if you want Leela to fall for you, you should probably actually give her the notes you write. Also wouldn’t hurt to get better handwriting.” 

“Yeah, haha,” Fry shrunk back on the couch, “for Leela.” 

This plan was backfiring, and bad. Every note Fry wrote for Bender only made him fall harder for the robot as he arranged his thoughts on paper, and every time Bender thought a letter was for Leela he only felt more foolish for thinking this could work. 

“Fry, I know you don’t want to hear this, but maybe you should try getting over her.” 

Bender tried his best to be comforting, he knew what it was like to love someone who didn’t reciprocate. 

Fry couldn’t handle this much longer, his plan failed badly and now the guy he was hitting on was now trying to give him relationship advice for someone he didn’t even want anymore. He’d been leaving notes and gifts around the house “by accident” for a month now. At this point, he didn’t care if Bender abandoned him anymore, he just needed to tell him, just to get this out. He felt like a hurricane had been building in his gut since he last went to his therapist, all the emotions he’d been holding back for years rolling into one another, growing more rapid with each new addition. Now the tide was finally pushing in, slamming his body into action he couldn’t control. He was being sent to the shore, unable to stop even if he wanted to.

“Bender, listen” he sprang up out of his seat, almost shouting, “this is crazy, and I never thought I’d say anything like this in a million billion years but I have to say it or….. or I’ll explode or something. All those cards were for you. I’m gay, or not straight, or whatever, and I have a huge crush on you and I’ve been too dumb or too afraid to realize it until now. Ever since I first met you I’ve had a crush on you. You make me feel safe, like…. like I’ve been waiting my whole life and a thousand years in a freezer just so I could meet you.”

Even though the TV was still on, it felt like the room was quiet. It was like they were far off in some universe where the air was strung too tightly to carry sound. Bender didn’t say anything. 

“I understand if you never want to speak to me again,” Fry finally finished after what felt like years, starting to leave room as he spoke, “I just had to say something.” 

Bender was speechless. Did that really just happen? Was he dreaming? His processor couldn’t handle all this information. He’d been pushing beyond his programming for years now, developing emotions and all that nonsense, but this? All the simulations he ran in his head, all the ways he imagined telling Fry how he felt, too afraid of what he might say, and this happens? This was too much. He had no idea what to do next, so he acted. He stood up, pulled Fry in with his metal hands, and he kissed. 

Fry pulled back.

“Bender, I-“

“Don’t talk, you romantic idiot.” 

Fry gladly leaned back in, lips meeting the robot’s softly buzzing grill. It’s exactly how he thought it would be, like coming home for the holidays. 

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this awhile ago and wanted to tweak some stuff before I posted it and I think I'm pretty alright with how it is now. Thanks for reading!


End file.
